Applicant hereby claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of corresponding Japanese patent application No. 2001-198759, filed Jun. 29, 2001.
The present invention relates to a deodorizing filter adapted to be mounted to an ostomy bag or a container containing various contents that emit foul odors, irritating odors or sharp odors in order to let out the gases existing in the ostomy bag or container or the gases produced by the contents in the ostomy bag or container from within the ostomy bag or container, removing the odors, and the invention also relates to a collector provided with this deodorizing filter.
A person who suffers the incontinence of feces and/or urine, a person who has undergone a surgical operation due to his digestive system disease, whereby his intestinal tract or urinary tract has been led out as far as the body surface and a stoma has been formed in the body surface, or a person who has a stoma or a fistula formed in the body surface due to a different disease, has the thus formed aperture equipped with a body wastes collector that can temporarily store the body wastes, in order to dispose of the body wastes such as feces, urine, body fluids, etc. discharged from the aperture formed in his body surface. This body waste collector generally comprises a faceplate and an ostomy bag. The faceplate is fixedly adhered to the portion around the aperture in the body surface by an adhesive layer of the faceplate and has the function of guiding the body wastes into the ostomy bag without allowing the leakage of the body wastes. In the body wastes, gases with odors are contained in some cases; and, as the body wastes are discharged, the gases also more and more increases in the ostomy bag, so that there is the danger that the ostomy bag may finally be ruptured unless the gases are suitably vented. Once the ostomy bag is ruptured, the body wastes leak out in a large quantity. In order to avoid the occurrence of such a state, it is practiced that a deodorizing filter is provided in a portion of the ostomy bag, so that the gases discharged into the ostomy bag are dissipated out of the ostomy bag, removing the odors by passing the gases through this deodorizing filter into the ostomy bag.
As the deodorizing filters that have so far been used in the body wastes collectors, there are known various types. As one feature of such filters, technical measures are taken to enhance the deodorizing effect by lengthening the flow path of the odorous gases that pass through the deodorizing element extending from the inside of the ostomy bag to the outside thereof. As the concrete structures according to such measures, the following ones are pointed out: The structure made in such a manner that a deodorant is accommodated at both sides of a spacer sheet disposed in a flat and hollow vessel, so that the gases are let to flow in through the deodorant portion at one side and then flow through passage holes provided in the spacer sheet into the deodorant portion at the other side, whereby the route through which the odors pass in contact with the deodorant is lengthened (See Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. (Hei) 8-103459); the structure made such that the gas passage extending between the gas inlet and the gas outlet of a case in which a deodorizing filter is incorporated is formed in a non-linear shape such as, e.g., a spiral shape, whereby the size of the case is miniaturized, and at the same time, the gas passage is lengthened (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. (Hei) 8-150165); the structure made such that a gas-discharging passage is formed along the outer periphery of the ostomy bag of a body wastes collector, and, at one end of this gas-discharging passage, an inlet communicating with the interior of the ostomy bag is formed, while, at the other end of the gas-discharging passage, an outlet communicating with the outside of the ostomy bag is formed, and the interior of the gas-discharging passage is filled up with a deodorant, whereby the route through which the gases flow in contact with the deodorant is lengthened, and at the same time, the thickness is decreased (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. (Hei) 9-253114); and the structure made such that a deodorizing filter is disposed horizontally in the upper portion of the ostomy bag of a body wastes collector, and the gas outlet thereof ends open in a space demarcated from the main space through which the body wastes in the ostomy bag are discharged, whereby the route through which the gas-discharging passage is lengthened, and at the same time, the outlet of the deodorizing filter is protected from the body wastes (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,719). The measure of lengthening the flow passage of the odorous gases that pass through the deodorizing element of the deodorizing filter as stated above results in an enhancement of the deodorizing effect, but on the other hand, has the problematic point that the deodorant itself functions as a resistance to aggravate the gas permeability, and thus, the gas dissipation that is the intrinsic purpose becomes difficult.
Waste matters such as kitchen garbage, filth, etc. are collected by putting them into a garbage bag, in which case, in order to reduce the size of the garbage bag as much as possible, the work of squashing the bag from outside to draw out the air from inside the bag is carried out before sealing up the bag that has the waste matters put therein, but, when the bag is sealed up, the outside air flows into the bag again; and thus, the work of sealing up the bag must be repeated many times in some cases. In addition, when the air in the interior of the bag is vented, the offensive odor of the garbage is also given out, which gives an unpleasant feeling to not only the garbage collecting workers but also the other people around.
In case of preserving foods, more particularly, in case of preserving strong-scented foods, such foods are preserved by putting them in bags, vessels or the like so that the scent is not picked up by other foods, etc., in which case it is desirable to reduce their bulks by evacuating the gases in the interiors thereof as much as possible, in view of the efficient utilization of the food-reserving volumes. On the other hand, however, it is not so desirable to perfectly seal up foods such as fresh vegetables that respire. Further, of foodstuffs that are fermentation-processed, there are some that produce a carbonic acid gas, etc. during the process thereof; and therefore, there is the fear that the bags or the like that contain such foodstuffs may be ruptured if they are perfectly sealed up. Therefore, in case of such foodstuffs, it is desirable to perform gas venting in such a manner as to give a smelling influence to the surrounding area as little as possible and to keep the ventilation of air to the outside to a suitable degree.
Living things such as small animals, fishes, etc. discharge odorous feces and urine and emit peculiar smells of their own. In case a man moves carrying such living things or leaves them in a room temporarily, it is desirable to put them into vessels so as to allow the smells of the living things to be spread to the surrounding area as little as possible, but, they cannot be put into air-tight vessel since they are living things; and therefore, even in case they are put into vessels, it is necessary to maintain the circulation of air inside the vessel to the outside to a suitable degree so as not to disturb their respiration.
In case of keeping a chemical or a chemical substance that produces a gas with an offensive smell, it is necessary to ensure that the condition for keeping it in custody is appropriate and, further, to select a vessel that has a high hermetical sealability and is tough. Further, in case of reacting chemical substances with each other, a gas that emits an offensive smell or a foul smell is sometimes produced, so that it is necessary to manipulate a draft or to prepare a well-ventilated environment; and thus, the costs for keeping such chemical substances in custody or constructing the manufacturing facilities become higher.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a deodorizing filter that exhibits a good gas permeability in various uses, allows an easy discharge of the gases produced in a bag or a vessel and has a sufficient deodorizing ability. Another object of the invention is to provide a collector equipped with this deodorizing filter.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the deodorizing filter according to the present invention is formed such that, in a housing, a deodorizing element is incorporated, and, at one side of the deodorizing element, a gas inlet is provided, while, at the other side, a gas outlet is provided, and a space exists at the side facing an ostomy bag to which the deodorizing element is to be mounted.
The housing for the deodorizing filter should desirably be formed in such a manner that a flange-shaped portion is provided at the side thereof to be fitted to the ostomy bag or that a surface thereof to face the inner side of the ostomy bag is formed into a rugged shape.
The deodorizing element of the deodorizing filter is closed in the outer periphery of the side surface thereof.
At the gas inlet side of the deodorizing element in the deodorizing filter, a gas-permeable water-proof film can be provided.
Further, the collector according to the invention is constituted such that, in the ostomy bag to accommodate therein the object to be deodorized, there is provided a gas outlet that connects the internal space of the ostomy bag to the outside, and the deodorizing filter is mounted so as to cover the gas outlet and so that a space formed in the deodorizing filter may face the ostomy bag. The deodorizing filter can be mounted to the inner side or the outer side of the ostomy bag.